


Why We Bleach the World

by PistachioShells (orphan_account)



Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Dead zones, Fantasy drug abuse (tw), Gen, Hatred, Implications of self-harm (tw), Memory, No Romance, Purified, Timelines, gore and blood (tw), non-romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 4,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24869524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/PistachioShells
Summary: Off is a game by Mortis Ghost and his team Unproductive Fun Time.This is an alternate universe. Much here will not be canon, but will be based around the original story.Welcome to the world you created. Does it bring you joy? Happiness? Your dream is our graveyard. We won’t let you rest, Batter. We won’t let mortality have mercy on you.I unfortunately can’t bring myself to finish this one. I know I left it on a cliffhanger, but I just can’t... FINISH it. I’m really sorry to the people who’ve been waiting. Thank you to those who stayed. It means a lot. Have a good day everyone
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Unlike the Sweetness of Love

~~~Unlike the Sweetness of Love~~~

And there he was. His foul face appeared again. Pablo stood upon the sole building that resided in Zone 0, his short fur paralyzed by the lack of wind, the lack of a sweet breeze. The air was still, and so was he. Awaiting vengeance. That creature would drown in the blood and meat rivers if it was the last thing the Judge did... and, he finally arrived.

The batter, confused, stepped forward. Where did all the gold go? All the beauty? It was replaced by an emptiness, an emptiness that mirrored his own soul. Where was the accomplishment? Something went wrong, surely. Maybe he could fix it. He looked up to find the Judge had not greeted him, instead glowering down upon him. Why was he upset? The batter thought. He hadn’t done anything other than take a few steps forward. He was sure he flipped the switch!

The Judge looked down upon the helpless, immortal soul that dared trespassed on this world.

> “Are you happy now?!” He called. “Everything is dead now... BECAUSE OF YOU.”
> 
> The batter looked up. “It had to be purified. It was my mission. Something went wrong, and I must fix it.”
> 
> The Judge slimmed down his eyes, baring his teeth. He wasn’t the same. “Mortality no longer graces this land with its generous release. You stole that gift from our hearts, and we must now live in suffering and pain.” He leapt down, where the batter could now see him clearly.

Pablo’s fur was torn, matted, and bloody. His pupils had become pinpricks, surrounded by whites as blaring as plastic. His smile was no longer clever and smart, as though he knew something secret. It was replaced by a smile of insanity, hopelessness, and giving in to the void that surrounded each zone like an unforgiving ocean. 

> “You are the jester here, now, batter! Know that death won’t bless you here anymore.” He left, seemingly disappearing as he walked away.

The judge, startled and quite possibly confused, stayed for a moment before advancing into the zone’s depths. There was definitely something OFF here...

”Batter, who came from the void, will be lost in it, his mind weathered to the bone as is ours. The fate of ours will befall him like leaves.”


	2. Eerie Halls

~~~Eerie Halls~~~

The Judge watched as the batter climbed the perilous tower, old and cracked from age. He seemed clueless and confused; many of the puzzles and traps were broken or changed. He turned away. All he wanted was to kill him, but he knew he was merely a last resort. He had no time to bother himself with the batter anyhow...

Lost, the batter tried to Adventure in every direction. However, not a single action triggered the puzzle. He groaned, fanning himself with his hat. Not only were these puzzles being troublesome (and a B*TCH), it was boiling hot. The building might as well have been built entirely of glass in the middle of Summer. He sat down and produced a paper from seemingly nowhere. It’s time to rule out... every... single... possibility.

And, from above, the Judge scowled. He tried way too hard. He should learn to give up once in a while...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really sorry about the short chapter, but I needed time to create the image and it took a while....


	3. Mirror, Mirror

~~~Mirror, Mirror~~~

The lifeless, harsh, white light shone from above. Finally, he was free from that wretched tower! The batter almost skipped to the little floating box, surrounded by ashy brick. He pressed his hand onto it, cold, as though it was made of metal.

The void was even more lifeless than normal. It was suffocating, drowning... as though it was filled with inky plastic. The chills stabbed through the batter’s thin clothes, seeming to freeze them to his pale body. Desperately, he tried to swim, crashing through the other side. As he tried to stand up, he heard harsh breathing behind him.

> _”Ah, ah... you... It’s you... stop there...”_

But when he turned around, all he saw was the white, purified zone. He shook his head lightly, making sure he was still somewhat sane before venturing onward. The voice wheezed on, unheard.

> _“Batter, ah... Coward, fool... You’ve already paid the Devil’s debt... yet here you are again... what brought you back? Guilt? Hatred? Curiosity?... ah... Maybe we can dance... again...”_

The tram seemed to take forever. Everything looked the same, the white buildings, the white car, everything. It was monotonous. Exactly how it should be. So why hadn’t everything disappeared?

The river’s of meat were browned, muddy, and black in some places. While there wasn’t anything living near it, it smelled wretched. Gathering up his courage, the batter summoned a Pedalo. Rather than the sweet hearted duck boats that swam beautifully through the ironic, staining blood, a crow boat appeared. Its eyes were closed, and its head was bent down in a crane-like fashion. It also seemed to have four wings, for some odd reason...

A solemn song floated down the river with the batter. For the first time since he arrived, there was background music. It sounded like a piano, one that was long untuned. It irritated him a bit, however, not knowing the source, the batter couldn’t exactly stop it.

He rode up onto one of the shores, many of the puzzles eroded enough to merely pass through. As he got off the mysterious crow Pedalo, a familiar figure stood before him. However, before the batter could recognize who it was, they fled. It was someone familiar, someone they’d seen often, for sure...

> _”Upon the murder you sat upon, you saw doves arise. The doves you seek are black as night, ravenous for your own bones beneath the skin...”_


	4. The Beauty in Death

~~~The Beauty in Death~~~

The batter turned a corner, where the Elsen should’ve been harvesting the metal from the cows. However, only large piles of metal resided. It wasn’t stainless steel, as it was before, it was silver. It glistened in the harsh light, as though it was a beacon of hope. 

He glanced around, before hopping back onto the Pedalo. He had to see if the guardian was still here; as the generators that powered the zones, they had to be dead for there to be a proper purification. 

He walked back and forth on familiar paths, dragging his bat behind him. Where was it again? Where was he? He began to get frustrated, whacking random walls wit’s his bat. He managed his way back to the tram, only to find it broken down. He was JUST on it! The batter gave the tram a firm whack before walking, growling under his breath

Was it Alma? It might’ve been Alma. The batter walked in, and found the office. Ah, that’s where it was! However, above the doorway, there was an unfamiliar and strange symbol:

  
The symbol was paired with a sign, reading “Dedan: Guardian of Zone 1, Water, Blood, Meat”.

The batter walked in, hoping to find him ready for battle, as he was before. Instead, he was hunched over a project, of what seemed to be one of the old Pedalos. From where the paint was chipped away, the steel shone through. He seemed to be painting it over, not noticing the foe standing less than 10 feet away. He glanced up.

> ”Oh. So you’re back.”


	5. Misdirection

~~~Misdirection~~~

The batter didn’t have much choice other than to patiently wait. Dedan had offered a few things, including a cigarette, however the batter had rejected them.

He watched as the thin, zombie-like veteran painted over the vessels. Only when Dedan stood up did the batter see how he’d changed. Rather than angry, with a permanent scowl, he seemed tired. Bags hung low under his eyes, his nails long and uncut. His entire body was covered in scuffs, cuts, and scars, including a prominent one over his right arm. He didn’t bother asking about it.

> Dedan smiled weakly. “What brought you back here?”
> 
> The batter responded as cold as he always did. “To finish my job.”
> 
> The veteran managed a light chuckle. “Well, you were always determined.” He lit a cigarette, the smoke smelling a sweet vanilla-lavender rather than the scorch of tobacco.
> 
> Assuming the weary soldier hadn’t understood, the batter clarified; “I’m going to finish this world off. Destroy it, as I’d planned from the start.” 
> 
> Dedan didn’t blink an eye. “Of course. I’d hoped you’d come back. It was boring without you.”
> 
> ”What do you mean?
> 
> ”Well, without having to worry about the Elsen and, frankly, not doing anything about it, it’s been to peaceful. I’m used to the adrenaline by now,” he said, continuing his weak and weathered smile.
> 
> ”... You worried about them?” the Batter pressured.
> 
> Dedan dropped his smile. “Yes. They were my people, after all. How could I not?”

Wisps of the smoke, yet not smoke, flowed about the room in strange circles.

> ”You realize I have to defeat you now, Dedan?”
> 
> Dedan chuckled. “I haven’t seen a single being left here die yet. Good luck, batter.”

So, the batter left empty-handed. Well, almost. Dedan gave the batter a lever, which had apparently been lacking in the last run. _Take us down,_ he’d said. _We’re all tired. We believe in you._

Pablo, on the other hand, scowled above the batter. What a disgusting creature, to believe he’d ever succeed. Alongside him was the darkness, and in the darkness were twin shadows.

> ”Ah, batter, coward, dancer... the blood in your heart... is ready to burst... Bring your soul... Bring your courage... Bring your hatred, your love... You are human... ah... You aren’t dead yet...”


	6. Roar

~~~Roar~~~

Thrown from the infinite void, the batter found himself on the footsteps of the second zone. The jarring violet and blue hues had been sapped into an empty, cool white. To the batter, it was calming. It was nice. Though, his duty wasn’t yet over. The cold metal in his hands froze his skin, urging him onward.

Wherever he went, it felt as though eyes followed. They swept over his shoulder like a cold fall breeze, unlike the buzzing and moist spring-like air that hung still in zone 1. Or, as the batter thought, the frozen glare the Judge had given him upon returning to the world- no, HIS world. He belonged here. 

The batter stood in front of the Library, full of stories lost to the graveyard. He saw a dark shadow grow in front of him. He looked up to see nothing, followed by a huge breeze. It nearly blew his cap off, which shrouded his gray eyes from the world. He thought something would’ve surely blocked the light...

He entered, the door clacking shut behind him. Only one Elsen remained, in front of the staircases. Unburdened from stress, their hair has partially grown back, though the dark circles stayed under their eyes. Putting down a thick book, they stood up to the counter. Seeing the batter, they remained unphased.

> ”Hello! How may I help you?”
> 
> ”I’m here to see if Japhet’s here.”
> 
> ”I’m afraid I haven’t heard of them. Sorry!”
> 
> The batter thought. “Do you have the Toad King story?”
> 
> They shook their head. “It got burned with the rest.”
> 
> ”What do you mean?”
> 
> ”When the world went blank, the library was the first to catch on fire. We all got really scared, and most of everybody began to either burn or convert into... what I think were demons. I-I was one of the few who survived. I busied myself here-“
> 
> ”But how did the library get put out?
> 
> ”Well, a huge shadow came. I thought it was the end of the world. But this wind came, and blew the fire out. I looked up, but there wasn’t anything. I guess it was a miracle of nature!”

The batter nodded. If it was Japhet, they’d probably be so winded up that nobody was bowing to his claws that he’d go on a killing spree. It was still a bit weird that wind would come at all, but... there wasn’t much other explanation. He walked out. There was more important things to seek out right now...


	7. The Sky

~~~The Sky~~~

He managed his way to the amusement park, after the dizzying maze that was the zone. Entering, like the library, only one Elsen remained. He seemed to be cleaning the already spotless area. The batter paid him no mind. He wasn’t necessary. This whole world wasn’t necessary. He’d take care of that.

The rollercoaster, lucky for him, was still run by an Elsen. This Elsen, unlike the seemingly unchanged one before, seemed high on sugar. They had a lollipop in their mouth, along with several by their side. Occasionally, they’d switch the pop to the other side of their mouth. The batter noticed that they also seemed a bit more dangerous than the previous one- their teeth were sharp from constant gnawing, their reactions sharp from pulling levers, their arms strong from carrying boxes and boxes of the same lollipops they had now, which were stacked up behind them.

As the batter approached, the Elsen, which seemed more unkept as he came closer, waved him off. However, being the batter, he came closer anyway.

> ”Hey dude. I know what you’re here to do, and we can’t die.”
> 
> ”I wasn’t planning on killing you.”
> 
> The Elsen laughed. “Nice! Well, do what you want. I don’t actually care that much.”
> 
> ”Do you know where Japhet is?”
> 
> Cracking a smart-assed smirk, the Elsen clumsily spilled out, “Why would I tell you if I did?” Suddenly having a bat between their eyes, the Elsen rethought their words. Not very carefully, though.
> 
> ”Dude! No need to rush, we’ve got forever!” When they saw that the batter’s expression remained unchanged, they laughed again and put their hand on the bat. “Come onnnn, I wanna have some fun while I’m still up here!”
> 
> The batter glared them down. “You can’t die. I can make you suffer for as long as I want to, so you’d better start telling me what you know.”
> 
>   
> Seeming to suddenly snap out of their euphoria, the Elsen laughed nervously as they took the pop out of their mouth, dropping it on the cement. “S-sorry, but I don’t actually know anything. Really.” Their entire face read, _oh GOD I fucked up._
> 
> The batter cracked his wooden bat against the head of the Elsen, causing no blood but a lot of whimpering. “Is that it?” He interrogated.
> 
> The Elsen glared at the Batter. “I don’t know anything. Look, I’m really sorry for what I said, really, but I’m not going to just back down. I was here when the fire caught, and I’m going to be buried here.”
> 
> Another crack. This time, blood rolled from their head. “I’m getting tired. Make it fast.”
> 
> “I. DON’T. KNOW.”

After leaving him crippled on the concrete, his boxes shattered behind him, the batter continued. A soft crying echoed throughout, a new voice. He looked back, seeing a dark and familiar figure crying over the Elsen. When the batter took a step towards it, however, they disappeared. Not again with this... 


	8. Cloud Splitter

~~~Cloud Splitter~~~

The batter had long given up. He’d been laying with the back up against the wall of the library for at least a few hours now, after checking everywhere for Japhet. He hadn’t seen anybody except the three Elsen for quite a while now. 

As he sat, simply staring at nothing, a shadow enveloped him. He looked around, and realized that maybe... he was the disaster this time. He looked up, but there was only a silhouette. As it passed, winds followed behind it. He gripped the brick wall behind him, partially to make sure it was still there, and partially to keep him anchored against the ground. 

A thud came from in front of him. The batter lifted his head from where it had blocked itself from the gusts, and saw something unfamiliar.

  
The lion growled, growing nearer. The batter leaps upwards to face the beast, bat at the ready.

> ”WELL?!” It roared. “YOU WANTED ME, AND HERE WE ARE.”
> 
> The batter glared wearily. “I don’t think we’ve met before. Are you a ghost? A sprite?”
> 
> ”FOOL. YOU KNOW US WELL, BATTER. WE ARE VALET.”
> 
> The batter shook his head. “Not familiar.” He put the bat down to his side. “Get out of my way. I need to find Japhet.”
> 
> The lion laughed hoarsely. “HE IS RIGHT HERE.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that the chapter is really short, but please forgive me. I’m a bit tired, so it’s probably slopppier than usual. Thank you for your understanding!


	9. Silencing God

~~~Silencing God~~~

> “HEROIC,” Valet stated. “COURAGEOUS. IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE?”
> 
> The batter spat at him. “I’m just ending what should’ve never existed in the first place.”
> 
> Valet glared at him, before leaping into the sky. “WE ARE VALET OF SMOKE. WE SHALL MAKE YOU SUFFER AS YOU DID TO US.”

The batter rolled out of the way, as Valet came crashing down, splintering the concrete below them. Valet roared, sending more wind to the batter. He was forced to grab the doorframe of the Library. 

> ”Send me to Japhet!” he angrily yelled over the wind. However, Valet did not reply.

Valet leapt up, soaring in front of the sun. Thus, the shadow enveloped the batter... it was almost comforting, somehow.

As the winged lion crashed down beside him, the batter barely had enough time to block a solid swipe with his bat. He heard a crack, deep within the core of the bat...

With a frustrated groan, the batter tried to summon his add-ons, which immediately fell dead, to the ground. Now even more frustrated, he glared at Valet. Shouting, he hit him ass hard as he could with his bat, which promptly disintegrated into hundreds of tiny shards.

> ”JAPHET!”

The batter grinned. Where was that guardian? He looked towards Valet, who had broken one of his wings. He was talking to himself, for some reason...

> ”Japhet! Are you hurt? What should we do?”
> 
> ”Don’t worry about me, Valérie. We’re a god, now. Remember?”
> 
> ”Still! You’re bleeding! Japhet...”
> 
> “Keep going. It’ll heal eventually.”

Reluctantly, Valet stepped forward. What a strange creature.

The batter balled up his fists, as his last weapon. Without flight, he wouldn’t be able to run away like a coward...


	10. We were Enemies

~~~We were Enemies~~~

The batter grabbed a shard of something from the ground, making him bleed. He didn’t care too much about it. As long as he found out where that damned bird was hiding, he’d be satisfied.

Valet stopped and shook a little in the face of a weapon, before shaking his head and roaring, running towards him with nightmare-black claws.

A sadistic smile swept the batter’s face. It’s been a while since he’d actually made something bleed (other than that Elsen). Though that wasn’t really his goal, it was nice every single time...

He swiped at the beast’s throat, who quickly dodged it and growled. A good portion of his hair had been cut. Valet roared, piercing the sky as a sonic spear, a beacon to those in the zone.

> ”DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE FIGHTING? DO YOU KNOW WHO _I_ _AM?!_ ”
> 
> The batter frowned. “Why would I care? It’s not like you’re Japhet.”
> 
> Valet growled. “WE ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO THAT WEAKLING.” 
> 
> ”...Japhet, you were never weak.” There he went, talking to himself again. Valet snorted.
> 
> ”Come on. I knew it first-hand. And now, here you are, protecting us. Like you always wanted to.” Valet growled, glaring down at his massive paws.

Taking advantage, the batter struck, aiming for the chest. The great beast recoiled back, dragging the piece of metal through the flesh of his neck. White blood spouted like a fountain from the wound.

What?

No.

White... stood for purity, he wasn’t PURE.   
  


HE WAS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF PURE.

From the blood, a small cat, carrying a bird gently between his teeth, emerged. The cat gently placed him on the ground, and dissolved back into the liquid. It bubbled, and entered the bird’s body, who awoke. Upon seeing the batter, the dove flew away.

The batter frowned. That wasn’t pure. That wasn’t supposed to happen at all... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m SO sorry about the late update! I recently started a new job, and have been going through some stuff. But, enough excuses. I should get back on track soon!


	11. Dreamstate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient! I was readjusting to a few things in life, but now I should be able to upload every week on Saturday. Or, at least, by then. 
> 
> Enjoy the story!
> 
> (Edit) The nest update will be late, but should be here by Wednesday! I had a lot on my mind... Sorry.

~~**~Dreamstate~** ~~

The batter hadn’t chosen to fall asleep, but his body had other plans. He sat just outside the box to zone 3, gently swaying as his mind desperately tried to shut down. He laid on his side, unconsciousness consuming him as soon as his head reached the floor.

Dreaming. When was the last time he had a dream? When they were sick? Was that HIS dream? He shook the thoughts off. They had no place here. He just had to finish his mission. To end the suffering. 

The batter stood up, surrounded by a clear darkness. Before him stood two silhouettes, who became clearer the longer he looked at them.

> _”Hello, ah... batter. I missed dancing with you.”_ The dark silhouette, Sugar, waved weakly with what seemed to be a broken arm. She seemed to have two mangled bat wings protrude from her back, tangled in themselves.
> 
> ”...yes. Hey, batter. It sure has been a while, huh?” The other figure, paler in total yet with darker skin than Sugar, seemed foreign at first. Without their mask, the batter couldn’t see who they were. Zacharie.
> 
> The batter glared at one, then the other. “What are you doing in my dreams? I hardly even dream. Why would it be of you?” He half-muttered it, as though he meant to talk more to himself than them.
> 
> Sugar approached him, heavily swaying, as though her body was going to collapse at the sound of a chirp. _“Well, guilt spawns shame. Shame spawns hatred, and hatred... ah... Insanity. Delusion. Dear batter, you poor soul! Never... ah, ah... free. You never were. Never will be.”_
> 
> Zacharie looked at her for a second before nodding. “I guess so. Don’t you remember? Batter, do you... remember anything at all?”
> 
> The batter frowned. “I just know my mission. That’s all I need to know.”
> 
> Zacharie teared up a bit. “So you don’t... Well, what was I expecting.” He tried to rub the tears away. “You were the nightmare. The one to end the world. We knew, we got ready, and you never did. We’re in this Limbo now. We’ve... been waiting for years for you to get us out.”
> 
> The batter shrugged. “That’s my mission. To establish purity. To revert this place back to a clean slate, for the reworking of one unknown.”

Zacharie turned to an empty spot, and seemed to look at nothing. Sugar joined him ecstatically, despite nothing being there.

> ”...what are you two looking at?” The batter questioned. They merely smiled.
> 
> ”I want... to know,” he hesitantly admitted.
> 
> _”Once there was a star here. A hope. It was yours, but now it’s out. Ah, ah...”_ she coughed for a second. _“We were worried... you’d never come back.”_
> 
> Zacharie nodded in agreement. “It’s kind of weird. All the Elsen lost their individuality, worried for the end. But, ironically, when it never came... it was what we ended up craving most.”

They looked back up. The emptiness was comforting. To the batter, it always had been. It’s where he first found himself, where he wanted to return to.

> ”I should’ve headed to the Room first,” the batter thinks out loud. _That would’ve been faster. Way, way faster._
> 
> Zacharie smiled. “You should still say hi to Enoch. We’ll drop you in for a sec, then take you to the Room.”
> 
> ”You can do that?”
> 
> “Me and Sugar’ve been watching you since you appeared in zone 1. We were just waiting for you to fall asleep. Awake, we look, well...”
> 
> _”Bad, monsters. We decomposed in your absence, dancer. I... ah... Can’t dance anymore. I’m happy you still can.”_
> 
> The batter nodded. “Should we go?”
> 
> Zacharie laughed quietly. “Always a hard worker. Yeah, let’s go.”

Tubes twisted overhead of the batter, carrying sugar to and fro. He was there. Inside zone 3...


	12. Bread

~~~Bread~~~

The batter looked onward. A small bakery sat ahead of him, no doubt run by Enoch. ‘The Best Baker in the Whole Area’ was written in paint marker on the window. Carefully, the batter pushed the door open. It smelled buttery and sweet.

> He gently closed the door behind him, when a familiar voice jingled. “Hello! Oh, it’s you!” 
> 
> Enoch came from a storage room. Despite part of his arm being chewed away and replaced with spiderwebs, his figure remained soft. He smiled at the murderer he knew so well. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The batter nodded.
> 
> ”I didn’t realize you all were waiting for me. I guess I’m sorry for the wait.” For once, he wasn’t talking about his mission. It felt nice to feel a bit more free.
> 
> Enoch nodded. “We missed you! Do you want something to eat? I can make you something if you want.” The batter shook his head.
> 
> An Elsen appeared from behind. “Boss, who’s this?” She asked. Her voice was soft and shy. 
> 
> “Ah, this was my friend I was telling you about. Want to say hi?” She mumbled a greeting.
> 
> ”Batter,” Enoch began, “Shouldn’t you be on your way?” He nodded.

The batter waved goodbye, turning around to leave. Two familiar people appeared. Or, at least, what he assumed where people.

Zacharie’s mask was broken, many shards in his skin. His face was too bloody to see his flesh. He had two white wings, now, but like Sugar’s, they were nearly torn to shreds. He didn’t seem to breathe, and many of his bones came through his skin.

Sugar, on the other hand, seemed to have burned alive. Many parts of her were burned, blackened, and sticky, crafting the scent of burnt caramel which fled through the air. 

The batter didn’t flinch as they each put a hand on his shoulders. They were guides. He whole-heartedly trusted them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the extra-late update... It’s been hard! Thank you to everyone who waited!


End file.
